Coutts loses its head of marketing and strategy

Coutts director of marketing and strategy Catherine Whittaker has left her job at the exclusive Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)-owned bank to go travelling.

Coutts has yet to make a decision about her replacement but claims Whittaker informed it of her decision to go travelling a few months ago.

Whittaker replaced Caroline Moss, who was promoted to director of marketing for corporate banking and financial markets for parent RBS in September 2001 (MW September 6, 2001). In January this year, Moss also resigned to pursue other interests and is not believed to have been replaced (MW January 16).

Coutts became part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group after its hostile takeover of NatWest in 2000.

The Queen and the rest of the royal family bank with Coutts, which requires &£500,000 in liquid assets or &£5m in other assets before it will offer someone an account.

To tackle increasing competition, Coutts broke with tradition and ran its first major advertising campaign in 2001. The multi-million pound “Dream Team” campaign was created by M&C Saatchi, and was repeated earlier this year. It featured famous figures from history and literature.

The campaign sought to highlight Coutts’ expertise in wealth management as well as private banking, for which it is better known.